Where to Buy a Pre-Owned Diamond?

[tanner12oz]

just bought a house so my budget is a little tight...new i can afford a around .45-.65 with AWESOME specs.....was just wondering is there was a reputable pre-owned dealer that i could use and boost those numbers up into the .75-1.00 range with AWESOME specs...

 

[denverappraiser]

Previous ownership doesn’t really change all that much in terms of pricing. ‘Used’ doesn’t mean the same thing in diamonds that it does in other categories. The cheapest prices generally come from individual sellers (as opposed to dealers), especially those who don’t have good selling skills. They come on stones that don’t have good paperwork and they come with stones that have specs well outside the range of what is currently popular… K color marquise cuts at garage sales for example. From your question, none of this seems to be what you’re looking for but maybe I’m misreading you. Those things drive down the prices for good reasons and it’s up to you to decide what you will and won’t put up with in exchange for lower prices. It sounds like you want a dealer who will sell you good stuf cheaply. You and everybody else. You’re in the right place for that and I’m sure the folks here can help you through it, there are jewelers who work on lower margins than others and that does bring down the prices (although even that involves some tradeoffs), but it’s not a new/used issue.

What specs are you looking for that you are describing as awesome? What's your budget?

 

[tanner12oz]

sadly i've been through this before so i know a little more then the average newbie...

more of a quality over quantity kinda guy...looking for something no less then G, VS2 and again in the .45-.75 range...looking for something that is superbly cut above anything else because as i heard on here the first time the cut is what gives it the sparkle...girlfriends finger is probably a 6-7 and she's a knockout but more of a tom boy type....i like the look of the simple classic solitaire setting and i think it would show off the quality of the stone... i heard if i can find 2mm it would be good as to not smother the stone

been looking at the whiteflash "A Cut Above" loose lately

budget i would say is 1.5-3k...any help would be great..not pulling the trigger today or anything but starting to put my ducks in a row

 

[denverappraiser]

Over 0.70 isn't even close. That's going to be more like $4000.

If you stay under 0.50cts you're close. You might consider backing off on the clarity, color or both in order to bring down the price and get you over that .50ct threshold. As I'm sure you know, there's a significant price bump that happens at exactly that point. Diamonds are priced 'per carat', meaning that the price will be multiplied by the weight to get the final cost. The price per carat climbs along with the size even when everything else stays the same but it's not linear. There are some weights that lead to distinct jumps. One of those is at 0.50. The next is at 0.70cts.

 

[nfowife]

If you're willing to stretch to about $3500 you can go to .7:
http://www.whiteflash.com/loose-diamonds/round-cut-loose-diamond-2657810.htm
http://www.whiteflash.com/engagement-rings/solitaire/4-prong-tiffany-style-solitaire-engagement-ring-587.htm


A bit smaller, at GOG, you'd definitely be under $3K with a simple solitaire setting:
http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/8412/

 

[tyty333]

This is a little lower specs wise but is a beautifully cut stone and would get you up to .7ish. Would need to find
out if it is eye-clean.

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-SI2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1345626.asp

This looks like it might have a prongable inclusion but the grading reported isnt loaded so
cant tell too much about the stone.
http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-SI2-Ideal-Cut-Round-Diamond-1388990.asp

 

[farmer gal]

You can always look on ebay

I would request copies of the GIA report

http://cgi.ebay.com/Helzberg-Diamond-Engagement-Ring-76-carat-/260809755477?pt=Diamond_Solitaire_Rings&hash=item3cb9790b55


http://cgi.ebay.com/platinum-diamond-solitaire-engagement-ring-/120746419831?pt=Diamond_Solitaire_with_Accents&hash=item1c1d0c2677

 

[tanner12oz]

ooops forgot to add...princess cut....do certain shapes cater better to smaller stones?

 

[purplesilk]

sadly i've been through this before so i know a little more then the average newbie...

more of a quality over quantity kinda guy...looking for something no less then G, VS2 and again in the .45-.75 range...looking for something that is superbly cut above anything else because as i heard on here the first time the cut is what gives it the sparkle...girlfriends finger is probably a 6-7 and she's a knockout but more of a tom boy type....i like the look of the simple classic solitaire setting and i think it would show off the quality of the stone... i heard if i can find 2mm it would be good as to not smother the stone

been looking at the whiteflash "A Cut Above" loose lately

budget i would say is 1.5-3k...any help would be great..not pulling the trigger today or anything but starting to put my ducks in a row

I agree with you: assuming that the most important of the 4 Cs is cut, I'd prefer a 0.50 ct F/G VS1/VS2 diamond rather than a bigger SI1/SI2 diamond.
And please, don't go over your budget: you just bought a house, so you have nothing to prove to your girlfriend or to your/her family/friends!!!
Many PSers bought from Whiteflash, so it seems a good place to go diamond hunting.
Best to you and your girlfriend,
Purplesilk

 

[farmer gal]

Oh, that makes a difference! JA will look at three diamonds for you and tell you which one is the best. I would also request asset images


http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VS1-Premium-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1351616.asp

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VVS2-Premium-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1305043.asp

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/H-VVS2-Premium-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1330630.asp

H is a great color, it gets you to the carat mark you are looking for without breaking the bank, and it looks gorgeous to the eyes!

Settings

http://www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/solitaire/2mm-Comfort-Fit-White-Gold-Solitaire-Ring.html

 

[farmer gal]

Here is one from GOG

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/8000/

 

[farmer gal]

If you want to stay smaller to not hurt the pocket book as much. Again request asset images. If she is a tom boy she may prefer something smaller.

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/F-VS1-Ideal-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1341619.asp

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/G-VVS2-Good-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1317395.asp

http://www.jamesallen.com/diamonds/E-SI1-Ideal-Cut-Princess-Diamond-1328164.asp


Setting: I meant to add this one to my first post as well as the comfort fit

http://www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/solitaire/2mm-Knife-Edge-18k-White-Gold-Solitaire-Ring.html

Pictured with a diamond of the same size

http://www.jamesallen.com/engagement-rings/sold/solitaire-rings/2965/Diamond-Solitaire-Ring-Settings.html


You can always upgrade the diamond for her for an anniversary present later down the road

 

[Christina...]

ooops forgot to add...princess cut....do certain shapes cater better to smaller stones?

Rounds will face up larger than other cuts, so you can get a .7 round and it will look larger than a .8 princess. For example the princesses that farmgirl linked, although they have a larger ct weight will appear smaller than the round .7 that tyty linked.

However rounds tend to be more costly than other cuts so you can get a weightier princess for less money than a same sized round. I guess it just depends on what you want.

 

[Gypsy]

I would look on ebay for a hearts on fire diamond or ring. I would lower your color and clarity to I SI1 (as long as it is Hearts on Fire it won't have eye visible inclusions in this range) and I would make sure the seller has good feedback and a good refund policy.

 

[Gypsy]

http://cgi.ebay.com/HEARTS-FIRE-18K-GOLD-DIAMOND-ENGAGEMENT-RING-6200-/120589945649?pt=Vintage_Fine_Jewelry&hash=item1c13b88b31 H VS2 with a lovely setting.

http://cgi.ebay.com/HEARTS-FIRE-18K-GOLD-0-72ctw-DIAMOND-ENGAGEMENT-RING-/200501667371?pt=Vintage_Fine_Jewelry&hash=item2eaed4a62b I VS2 with a pave setting.

http://cgi.ebay.com/HEARTS-FIRE-18K-GOLD-0-51ct-DIAMOND-ENGAGEMENT-RING-/200488300808?pt=Vintage_Fine_Jewelry&hash=item2eae08b108 I IF with a classic setting.

All very from the same seller who has good feedback and a good refund policy.

I'd jump on this Lazare if it were me. http://cgi.ebay.com/Beautiful-Ideal-Cut-82-ct-Round-Diamond-/230642179252?pt=Diamond_Solitaire_Rings&hash=item35b3585cb4 Nice size for the money! Great brand. I would negotiate a refund policy if it doesn't appraise out to match the certificate and the listing, though.

 

[Lisa Loves Shiny]

I am glad Gypsy posted some links to great rings on ebay. Please don't be afraid to also look at shopping at pawn shops, or estate dealers in your area. I think you will be surprised at how far your money will go if you do this. Don't be afraid to bring your own loupe as any reputable seller will not be offended. I always ask first to be polite. Good luck!

 

[Cimbom]

Get an oval diamond! If you think she'd like it, of course.

My e-ring was $3.5k. It is a 0.80ct, G colour, VS2, excellent cut (cut graded by seller) oval diamond in a halo basket setting with lots of hand done milgrain. 1.25 total carat weight of diamonds.

Ovals, pears and similar shapes look a lot bigger than the traditional round brilliants and princess cuts. My finger size is 4.5 and to me it faces up like well over one carat.

 

[lknvrb4]

Another good place for used is jewelsbyericagrace.

 

[tanner12oz]

i really like some of the items on here....http://jewelsbyericagrace.com/ ... do you have personal experience ordering from them?

 

[bigdiamondtinygal]

Lots of people here have bought from them. Usually around here people refer to them as JBEG. They are a very reputable vendor around here.

I think this ring is gorgeous and a great deal for the money in your budget:

http://jewelsbyericagrace.smugmug.com/Jewelry/Modern-and-Estate-Pieces/177ct-Tsavorite-Garnet-Halo/16941527_wPzHDT#1280835995_QLcsCtZ

 

[maplefemme]

i really like some of the items on here....http://jewelsbyericagrace.com/ ... do you have personal experience ordering from them?

I just purchased a loose diamond from them and also a pair of earrings, their customer service is excellent, I'd definitely recommend them.
Grace has been fantastic!

 

[Lovingwarmdiamonds]

I bought my diamond studs from them. Here's the link to the thread...They were great to work with and they have beautiful merchandise.

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-new-omc-studs.156995/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-new-omc-studs.156995/[/URL]